Mawdesley - Red Lion Inn

Name: The Red Lion Inn

Address: Town Road aka New Street, Mawdesley

The Moss family were the first beer sellers to live on Town Road, which was later to be renamed New Street.  William Moss Snr. and his wife Ellen lived in the village during the 1840's and following his death in 1848 his probate record confirms his occupation.

William Moss Probate 1848

Three years later his widow Ellen was living on Town Road recorded as a beer seller with their children including William Jnr. who was to become the next landlord of the pub. The current building is said to have been built in the mid-late 1850's but from the parish records below the Moss family ran an Inn at the location prior to William Snr.'s death in 1848.  

1845 Map of the Village

1851 Census

Listed landlords at the Red Lion were therefore William Moss Snr,(-1848), Ellen Moss (1848-58), William Moss Jnr (1858-61), James Stock (1871), Richard Orrell (1881), Joseph Banks (1891-1901), Job Taylor (1911), James Bentham (1928-41), Eddie Newton (1990s), Nick Smallshaw (2018) and Ian Hewitt (2022-).

Marriage: 7 Jun 1858 St Peter, Mawdesley with Bispham, Lancashire, England

William Moss - full age, Innkeeper, Bachelor, Mawdesley

Catherine Walbank - (X), full age, Spinster, Mawdesley

    Groom's Father: William Moss, Innkeeper

    Bride's Father: William Walbank, Farmer

    Witness: Richard Robinson, (X); Catherine Meadows, (X)

    Married by Banns by: Martin Twiss Incumbent

    Register: Marriages 1843 - 1919, Page 42, Entry 83

    Source: LDS Film 1526409

Special thanks must go to James Anderton from the parish of Mawdesley who provided such wonderful sketches depicting village life used in both the St Peter's Church 150 year celebration book and Mawdesley with Bispham Past & Present.

1861 Census

William Moss had handed over the reins for the Red Lion by 1867 to a James Stock although he was still still living on the same road with wife Catherine and their family at which time he was working as a basket maker.

Ormskirk Advertiser 19 December 1867

1871 Census

1881 Census

1891 Census

1901 Census

1911 Census

Job Taylor was to remain landlord at the Red Lion until his death in 1918 as the below parish records shows: -

Burial: 2 Dec 1918 St Peter, Mawdesley with Bispham, Lancashire, England

Job Taylor - 

    Age: 59 years

    Abode: Red Lion Inn Mawdesley

    Buried by: W. Pritchard Lord

    Register: Burials 1841 - 1925, Page 174, Entry 1385

    Source: LDS Film1849640

1918 Probate Job Taylor

The marriage of his daughter a year later shows the family were still living at the pub so I assume his widow Elizabeth had continued to run the business after is death.

Marriage: 21 Oct 1919 St Peter, Mawdesley with Bispham, Lancs.

James Wareham - 23, Farmer, Bachelor, Rufford Road

Mary Lucy Taylor - 20, Spinster, Red Lion Inn Mawdesley

    Groom's Father: George Edward Wareham, Retired Farmer

    Bride's Father: Job Taylor, deceased, Collier

    Witness: Job Joseph Taylor; Jennie Wareham; Peter Taylor

    Married by Banns by: W. Pritchard Lord M. A. Rector

    Register: Marriages 1919 - 1933, Page 1, Entry 2

    Source: Original register held at Lancashire Archives

Lancashire Evening Post 30 October 1920

Lancashire Evening Post 20 August 1935

LEP 1990s Eddie Newton the landlord of the Red Lion with the two stone Lions which guard the entrance to the pub